[NEWS] 'The Iron Giant' Returns to Theaters for Re-Release

article by: Jeff Labrecque

Mondo poster of (1999) 'The Iron Giant'

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY magazine
"In May, Tomorrowland director Brad Bird let slip that 'The Iron Giant', his 1999 box-office dub turned beloved animated classic, might find its way back into theaters for a special re-release. "I think something will happen fairly soon," Bird told Collider. "They know that people have a fondness for it...I would love to see Iron Giant get back into theaters even if only for a week." It won't be a weeks run but pencil September 30 on your calendar. Warner Bros. and Fathom Events are putting a remastered 'signature edition' version of 'The Iron Giant' in theaters for a very limited engagement. The special-event screening will take place at 7:00 pm on September 30, with an encore showing on October 4 at 12 pm in participating theaters around the country. The new remastered cut will include all-new scenes. "We can't wait to bring this family favorite back its home on the big screen" said Fathom Events CEO John Rubey, in a statement. "The Iron Giant is meant to be seen and heart on movie theaters and this is a great chance for fans new and old to enjoy this classic, remastered with new scenes." The film, Bird's first as director, was soundly ignored at the box office when it opened August 3, 1999 debuting at No. 9 and ultimately grossing only $23.2 million reportedly less than a third of its production budget. But critics lavished it with praise and it went to win nine Annie awards. In the 16-years since, 'The Iron Giant' has only risen in profile and is considered on of the richest animated films of an age mostly dominated by Pixar films. Following the brief theatrical re-release, a high-definition version of 'The Iron Giant: Signature Edition' will be available from digital retailers in the fall of 2015."

More information about the September 30 re-release can be found on the following website: Fathom Events tickets page

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The Voices Behind the Characters - The Cast

The Iron Giant - Voiced by actor Vin Diesel as the loveable robot/alien-like giant from another planet. His character crash landed from another planet, is fifty-feet tall, and eats metal. The Iron Giant involuntarily reacts defensively if he recognizes anything as a weapon, immediately attempting to destroy it. The specific creator of the giant is never revealed. The creature acts child-like and mimics Hogarth's every move in attempts to learn what its like to be 'normal'/'human'.

Hogarth Hughes - Voiced by actor Eli Marienthal, his character is a young energetic and curious boy with an active imagination. Hogarth's the one who discovers the Iron Giant and befriends him. He teaches him about life and death, and comic books. Together they have adventures of their own as the pair wonder around the forest and the town.

Kent Masley - Voiced by actor Christopher McDonald, his character is a paranoid government agent sent to investigate sightings of the Iron Giant. The logo on Kent's official government car says he is from the 'Bureau of Unexplained Phenomena' also known as the B.U.P. Kent is strongly disliked by Hogarth and the two have at each other throughout the course of the film. Thinking he's a charming and sly dapper man he attempts to charm Annie. His charms work and she allows Kent to stay with her and Hogarth because they are renting out a spare room. His paranoia gets the better of him and he calls in General Shannon Rogard for reinforcements after having sighted the Iron Giant.

Annie Hughes - Voiced by actress Jennifer Aniston, her character is a widowed single-mother to Hogarth, and a waitress. She worries about her son's active imagination, and is in disbelief that he is hanging around with a 50-foot robot/alien. She is charmed by Kent Mansley into renting out the spare room at their home. Sometime later, she and Dean become a couple.

Dean McCoppin - Voiced by actor/singer Harry Connick, Jr., his character is a beatnik artist and junkyard owner. He befriends the Hughes family allowing the Iron Giant to stay with him at the junkyard. He assists Hogarth with concealing the Iron Giant by disguising the robot as a piece of scrap-metal art. Sometime later, he and Annie become a couple.

General Shannon Rogard - Voiced by actor John Mahoney, his character is a military leader in Washington D.C. who strongly dislikes agent Kent Mansley because he thinks he's unworthy of even being associated with the government as paranoid as Mansley is. Rogard eventually gives into Mansley's constant whining as well as a string of pestering phone calls and goes from Washington to Rockwell, Maine where Kent claims to have spotted the Iron Giant.